Luke 20:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.

NIV: He went on to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.

NASB: But He began to tell the people this parable: 'A man planted a vineyard and leased it to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.

CSB: Now he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time.

NLT: Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: 'A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years.

KJV: Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

NKJV: Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.

The parable of the wicked tenants is the second of six passages discussing authority. In particular, the question is whether it belongs to Jesus or the religious leaders of Jerusalem. Jesus is on the Temple Mount, days after He entered Jerusalem in a style reflecting His rightful place as King of the Jews. The next day, on the Temple Mount, He drove out merchants who were cheating Jewish travelers and blocking the way for Gentiles to worship God. A group of chief priests and elders, who likely profited from those merchants, asked Jesus who gave Him the authority to do so. The inclusion of their lawyers suggests they were waiting for Him to say something against the Mosaic or Roman law. Instead, He turned the question around and caught them in their own trap (Luke 20:1–8).

Jesus isn't finished, yet. He wants the Jewish leaders to understand the consequences if they do not show good stewardship in the role God has given them. They ought to lead others in right worship of God. If they don't, God will remove their authority and give it to others. In Matthew's account, Jesus started this lesson by telling the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21:28–32). Jerusalem's established leaders are like a son who tells his father he will obey but then doesn't. God would rather have a son who says he won't obey but does.

The parable which begins here is similar. A landowner finds tenants to tend his vineyard. The landowner sends servants to collect fruit from the vineyard, but every time the tenants beat the servant and send him away with nothing. Eventually, the landowner sends his son, whom the tenants kill. In response, the owner kills them and brings in new tenants.

In the prophets' writings, Israel is occasionally referred to as God's vineyard (Isaiah 5:1–7). In one particularly poignant verse, God says, "Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have trampled down my portion; they have made my pleasant portion a desolated wilderness" (Jeremiah 12:10). This speaks to how the religious leaders of that time had abused the people they were supposed to lead.

To "let" something is to rent it out. The KJV uses the term "husbandmen" instead of "tenants." A "husbandman" is a farmer or a hired agricultural worker.

Luke 20:9–18 records Jesus' response to religious leaders who challenged His authority (Luke 20:1–8). This comes in the form of the parable of the wicked tenants. The underlying meaning is that as the Son of God, Jesus has proper authority over religious leaders. However, the leaders of His era will kill Him, and God will destroy them. In the mirrored structure of Luke 20, the parallel argument is that Jesus is also superior to the line of the Jewish kings (Luke 20:41–44). In between, religious leaders foolishly challenge Jesus' understanding of the Mosaic law (Luke 20:19–40). This passage echoes the records in Matthew 21:33–46 and Mark 12:1–12.

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus find Himself in conflict with the city's religious leaders. Elders, priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all attempt to discredit Him. This comes mostly in challenging Jesus with trick questions. Jesus deftly handles those challenges without falling into the trap. He provides several teachings about His role as the Son of God and directly warns the Jewish people against their generation of scribes, who are arrogant and pretentious.

Luke 20 is a chiasm about authority. Jesus has entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:28–46). Now, the priests and teachers attack Jesus' authority in religion, law, and doctrine; Jesus defends Himself and shows their sinful lifestyles disqualify them for authority. After holding up a widow as a better role model (Luke 21:1–4), Jesus warns His disciples about the challenges they will face in the coming years, including the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–38). The events in Luke 20 are also discussed in Matthew 21—23 and Mark 11—12.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.